17 replies to this topic

[Cmdr Shepherd]

I was wondering whats a good mobile sniper mech? Also which weapons are best nowadays for sniping? I'm returning to the game after a long time off.

[Koniving]

Do you need a high powered sniper, or is a weaker but more frequent sniper alright?

The less firepower you require the more mobile you can possibly be.
For example I have a Jenner using 4 ML, 1 TAG (to detect hit collision issues with invisible walls while trying to aim around corners) and an ER PPC. Pretty fast, not very powerful but does great on the cleanup.

As another example, same concept but deadly and not as mobile I have a twin PPC Hunchback 4P sporting 7 ML (fired 5 then 2) and a TAG for hit issue detection.

Then I have sometimes more mobile and sometimes less mobile sniper builds using an assortment of other mechs. But for the real high powered sniping I use a 53 kph beast with a 1.5 second max damage potential of 60 at incredible range.

[SilentScreamer]

Cmdr Shepherd, on 27 June 2015 - 01:07 AM, said:

I was wondering whats a good mobile sniper mech? Also which weapons are best nowadays for sniping? I'm returning to the game after a long time off.

I recommend using ballastics or PPCs for sniping because LRMs and lasers will give away your position. Once they know where you are it is time to move. If you use ballastics avoid AC2s, the high rate of fire needed to put out significant damage makes you as easy to locate as laser fire. The more shots you get into without moving the higher your damage will be.

Other features to consider:
Do you want ECM?
If so, you are very limited. Commando, Spider, Raven, Kitfox, Cicada and Griffin can all move fast and have ECM.
Also want jump jets?
Only Spider, Kitfox and Griffin are quick and have jump jets.

If you don't want or need ECM there are plenty of snipers to pick from..A few standouts Panther, Blackjack, Vindicator, Hunchback, Shadowhawk and even the Locust

If you are playing more as supporting fire than a stealth sniper almost any light or medium mech (and some heaviy mechs) can be built to snipe.. Lasers work great in this role. Just make sure at least one team fatty is between you and the enemy.

Edited by SilentScreamer, 27 June 2015 - 06:11 AM.

[mailin]

Please don't include the Kit Fox in the list of quick mechs. The problem with lasers is the time on target. ER PPCs and Gauss rifles are a much better choice for sniping. The biggest problem with lights sniping is the pathetic lack of backup weapons. Granted there is a way to build a Spider 5D with 2 small lasers in addition to the ER PPC, but at the expense of either jump jets, armor, engine size or some combination thereof.

For the above reasons, I am not a fan of sniper lights. I know that this goes against the current thinking of a lot of players. The issue is that it is very hard to keep an enemy at range, and once they get close they become much harder to hit with sniper weapons.

As far as having ECM in a sniper, if you do decide to go with an ECM mech, please take into consideration the rest of your team mates if you pug. All too often I have seen a team's only ECM wander off to "snipe" leaving the rest of the team more exposed to lrm rain. You simply cannot think of ECM as only offering protection for youself, unless your team has more than one mech with ECM.

Edited by mailin, 27 June 2015 - 06:18 AM.

[Todo Sandybanks]

Shadowhawk throw a xl275 1gauss and 3 jjs plenty of heatsinks like 3-4 extra and either 1erppc or 4mlas [the heatsinks 3-4 only if using mlas]

[3xnihilo]

This Spider 5D makes a good sniper. But, you have to be constantly repositioning, and shooting a lot. Use Advance Zoom and and Sensor Range Modules to pick out and target weak areas on your enemy.

2ERLL Raven 3L is a common sniper build and ERLL Cicada 3M or ERPPC Cicada 3M are both good at sniping. Lasers are easy to trace back to their source, so you need to take 1, maybe 2 shots from one location and move.

Gauss Rifles are good Sniper weapons as well, but tend to be on less mobile mechs because of their weight. (Hunchback GI, Dual Gauss Jager, Various Assault mechs)

[Spheroid]

You need to define "mobile" and your preferred range/weapon system.

Are you looking for gauss, ER large or a ppc platform. Also what mechs do you already own?

[Cmdr Shepherd]

By mobile maybe 50-60 kph. Enough speed to get out of a bad situation. I'm looking for heavy firepower. Before I took a break I had 2 ERPPC on a Catapult K2 and it took forever to actually kill someone. Not to mention I was always watching heat levels.

[IraqiWalker]

Cmdr Shepherd, on 28 June 2015 - 02:50 AM, said:

By mobile maybe 50-60 kph. Enough speed to get out of a bad situation. I'm looking for heavy firepower. Before I took a break I had 2 ERPPC on a Catapult K2 and it took forever to actually kill someone. Not to mention I was always watching heat levels.

Use the jagermech. It's the best at being a Gauss SNiper. That's a LOT of firepower, in a small framed mech, that is quite mobile.


I'll edit the post with the Gauss build as soon as I fish it out of my library.

EDIT:

It's a bit old, but this is the build:

JM6-A

You can drop a ton or two to slap MLs in there, but it's solid, it's fast, and has a mean punch.

Edited by IraqiWalker, 28 June 2015 - 02:59 AM.

[Elizander]

Grid Iron probably until it's nerfed.

[IraqiWalker]

Elizander, on 28 June 2015 - 03:12 AM, said:

Grid Iron probably until it's nerfed.

Hence why I chose the Jagermech. The quirks help, but with or without them, it's possibly the best Dual Gauss sniper in the game.

[purplewasabi]

Nothing like the double gauss jager. High weapon mounts, adequate mobility...unless u run a standard engine, but still viable. I highly recommend it.

[Target Noodle]

One thing to remember about snipers in MWO is that once the brawl starts, your armor is needed as well as your damage output so there will be a time when you will have to brawl with your sniper. A good thing to keep in mind when picking a sniper.

[The Basilisk]

In my language there is a distinguation between "Scharfschütze" and "Heckenschütze".
In american english both is translated as Sniper.
The first is a longrange high precesision marksman and the second is a short and medium range highly mobile hidden shooter.

For the second sort I would recommend the Sparky.

For a Mech of its size it can provide a punishing and prcise strike of ~40dmg at up to 300m if you use medlaser range module and still 20dmg at 600m if you use the PPC range module.
I also recommend a PPC cool down module.
Don't try to peakaboo to much. Get into position, deliver 2 Salvos alpha and be gone.

[GenghisJr]

Dragon 1C w/endo/ferro 2LL + gauss & 300XL

[Leone]

IraqiWalker, on 28 June 2015 - 03:40 AM, said:

Hence why I chose the Jagermech. The quirks help, but with or without them, it's possibly the best Dual Gauss sniper in the game.

I would actually like to throw the Gauss-Bringer into the ring with that one. Straight up, the Jager is the better mech, until you bring the ECM into it. The Loki brings it's own ECM which can make a huge difference, but of course must sacrifice more armour, or ammo than the Jager.

~Leone.

[jss78]

Since the OP is asking for heavy and only somewhat mobile snipers, how's the Battlemaster?

This is more of a question, as I don't actually own one. I'm looking at the BLR-1S, and you could run four high-mounted ERLL's, with a STD-350 or XL-400, and 20ish DHS to keep it cool despite the ghost heat. That variant has a +25% energy range quirk, so you'll be punching out to a kilometer at full strength.

Something like: http://mwo.smurfy-ne...8b47a29d891930b

I'd try it but I'm already running a 3xERLL SHD-2K which is kind of similar.

[IraqiWalker]

jss78, on 29 June 2015 - 12:56 AM, said:

Since the OP is asking for heavy and only somewhat mobile snipers, how's the Battlemaster?

This is more of a question, as I don't actually own one. I'm looking at the BLR-1S, and you could run four high-mounted ERLL's, with a STD-350 or XL-400, and 20ish DHS to keep it cool despite the ghost heat. That variant has a +25% energy range quirk, so you'll be punching out to a kilometer at full strength.

Something like: http://mwo.smurfy-ne...8b47a29d891930b

I'd try it but I'm already running a 3xERLL SHD-2K which is kind of similar.

The BLR-1G has the better hardpoint lay out (the upper 2 energy hardpoints are cockpit level.) While the 1S has them below the cockpit. So they are relatively high, but you'd still expose more of your mech, than in the G, or the Jager.